God's help

Often we wonder what our part is in winning a victory, and what part is the Lord’s.  Do we need to be perfect for God to help us?  Though that seems impossible, sometimes we do not believe our weakness warrants God’s intervention. 

In Psalm 18 King David tells us that, although his enemies were too strong, God helped “according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands He has rewarded me.” (Ps 18:20).  David goes on to tell us that he did not do evil by turning from God. (vs 21).  These words may seem to be saying that David had a righteousness of his own.  As Christians, we know that is far from the truth.

We have our righteousness apart from the law.  It is by faith in Jesus Christ and what His shed blood did for us.  God actually wants us to ask Him for His help when we are weak and when we fail.  Being covered in the blood of Jesus is how we win our battles and maintain our victories.  In Revelation 12 we read that the first way we overcome our enemy, satan, is with the “blood of the Lamb.” (Rev 12:11)  It is our enemy that intimidates us with his accusations, and it is God who makes us acceptable by Christ’s blood.

When Jesus spoke to the Church at Laodicea, He gave them an understanding of how to overcome and sit on the throne with Him.  Their complacency had caused them to become blind, pitiable, wretched and naked.  But through earnestness and repentance they could have fellowship with Him and sit on His throne (Rev 3:17-21).  When we feel weak and wretched, God offers us the opposite of our shameful state.  We get to a pitiful state through carelessness of heart and attitude of mind.  But through our earnest and sincere repentance, we are covered by the blood of the Lamb once again.  Our former weakness is not what God responds to; He will answer our prayer for help.  When our heart is earnest in repentance, we become clothed in Christ’s righteousness.  Then, like King David, we have clean hands.

When our enemy tries to turn us away from God by intimidating us about our failures, that is the time to turn to God and ask for His help.  He will rescue us.  God delights to show Himself strong to those who give Him the opportunity (2 Chron 16:9).